While the present invention can be effectively used in a plurality of non-marking, paper-handling apparatus or marking systems such as ink jet printing, non-xerographic printing, etc., it will be described for clarity as used in paper managing and handling of electrostatic marking systems such as electrophotography. In an electrostatographic reproducing apparatus commonly used today, a photoconductive insulating member may be charged to a negative potential, thereafter exposed to a light image of an original scanned document to be reproduced. The exposure discharges the photoconductive insulating surface in exposed or background areas and creates an electrostatic latent image on the member which corresponds to the image areas contained within the original document. Subsequently, the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive insulating surface is made visible by developing the image with a developing powder referred to in the art as toner. During development, the toner particles are attracted from the carrier particles by the charge pattern of the image areas on the photoconductive insulating area to form a powder image on the photoconductive area. This image may be subsequently transferred or marked onto a support surface such as copy paper to which it may be permanently affixed by heating or by the application of pressure. Following transfer of the toner image or marking, the copy paper may be removed from the system by a user or may be automatically forwarded to a finishing station where the copies may be collected, compiled and stapled and formed into books, pamphlets or other sets. This invention will be described throughout in reference to paper management and handling both before and after finishing stations. It should be understood, however, that the present invention can be used in any systems where paper is fed, managed or collected.
As above noted, there are many marking systems that transport paper or other media after the paper is marked in marking step or steps. These marking systems could include ink jet printing, electrostatic marking systems, non-electrostatic marking systems and printers or any other system where paper or other flexible media or receiving sheets are scanned, marked and then are transported internally to an output device such as stacking trays or a finisher and compiler station or stations and the subsequent collecting of paper after the scanner completes its functions and the media is marked ready for collection. As above noted, the management-handling system of this invention can be used both before and after finishing stations.
A typical job for customers using wide format products can involve scanning and printing 36-inch wide documents which can be hundreds of feed long (up to 650 feet long). Generally, the portion of the document exiting the scanner (post scan) is sometimes deposited somewhat haphazardly on the floor, the top of the scanner or on a tray requiring further manual handling. This can be costly in terms of the overhead incurred while managing the exiting document and the potential for damage to the original once it has already exited. In addition, in lengthy documents, curling of the unsupported paper can easily occur which could cause subsequent problems. Paper curl can cause poor registration, sheet damage and jamming or poor image quality both before and during further processing such as in a finishing station. Sheets delivered in a curled condition have a tendency to have their edges out of registration with aligning or scanning mechanisms and other sheet-handling systems employed in marking or printing technology.
Therefore, there is a need for improved paper handling in marking or other systems to reduce potential damage to the original or the copy and to reduce paper impairment due to paper curl. Also, since manual collection of scanned rolls of paper has proven to be cumbersome, an automatic handler would be a significant advance in the art.